


skin like a livewire

by inkwelled



Series: pieces [4]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends, CatradoraWeek2018, Dorms, F/F, Final Exams, Libraries, Magical Tattoos, Pop Culture, Rivals to Lovers, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Studying, Texting, This Turned Into More Of A Text Fic Than Anticipated, group chats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-04 22:38:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17313149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkwelled/pseuds/inkwelled
Summary: "You're in my spot."Catherine smirks, tilting back in her chair. "Don't see your name on it. Get lost."She ignores the wiggling of ink beneath her skin.or— catra won't admit it but she has the biggest crush on her football's quarterback, and adora doesn't fail to notice the woman staring at her in the halls. day four ; soulmate/unrequited





	skin like a livewire

**Author's Note:**

> i'm late again! shocker.
> 
> no but really, i'm sorry. i still haven't been to the doctor and have had to fight this upper respiratory infection (at least i think that's what's been going on - webmd don't fail me now) on my own while juggling work and school. i'm gonna try to crank out five and six today and then wrap it all up tomorrow with seven and eight. 
> 
> no promises though.
> 
> title inspired but not taken from [livewire](https://genius.com/Oh-wonder-livewire-lyrics) by ohwonder

"You gonna stop staring and talk to her?"

Catherine startles and whips her head away. "I don't know what you're talking about," she hisses and Scarlett's smile is knowing.

"Sure."

Endellion doesn't look up from whatever latest gadget she's tinkering with. "You have been staring at Adora Eternia in the hallways every time she's passed and yesterday you asked the R.A for her schedule because she 'lost hers.'"

She looks away from her best friends' piercing gazes. "I don't know what you're talking about," she says again and tugs down her sleeve. The tattoo writhes under her skin but she's used to ignoring it.

After all, she's seen Eternia's forearm.

There's no tattoo.

Catherine Weaver is used to not getting her way.

She moves on. She doesn't need the pretty blonde on Bright Moon's football team, the only girl. She doesn't need anyone besides Scarlett and Endellion and her therapist on weekends. Maybe she mourns. Maybe she doesn't.

Catherine ignores the way the ink under her skin moves whenever she walks past Eternia. One time in the hallway, her arm brushes against the other girl's and she convinces herself that she imagines the way Eternia gasps.

She doesn't need her.

Catherine hunkers down in the back of her lecture hour, pretends she isn't staring at the back of Eternia's perfect, bouncy ponytail, and how the muscles in her shoulders ripple when she raises her hand.

She doesn't notice her white smile, the dimple when she laughs, how her eyes light up when one of her friends - _Emma? Catherine heard her calling her "Immy" once_ \- makes a joke.

Adora Eternia is quick to laugh.

She's quicker to fall in love.

"One of these days you're going to have to talk to her," Bow says as he lounges in her bed. Adora ignores him, flips the page.

"If you get crumbs on my sheets I'm unfriending you on Facebook."

Laying upside down, head hanging off the top bunk, Glimmer snorts. "Bold of you to assume anyone still uses Facebook besides you, you old woman. We haven't used Facebook since middle school."

Adora flips another page, convincing herself she doesn't need to jot down notes. She knows the political structure of Italy.

_Right?_

Nope.

"But seriously," Bow says, munching down on another chip and Adora feels how his eyes burn into her back, "when are you finally gonna ask Catherine out? It's obvious how much you two are pining."

"I'm not pining."

"Grass isn't green."

"You wanna sleep outside?"

Glimmer sighs. "No."

"I thought so," Adora says loftily and slams her forehead into the desk.

"That sounds like it hurt," Bow observes and Adora throws him the bird without looking. "This is the third time I've said it, so maybe you'll listen this time. We can see the ink on your bicep when you're near each other."

Glimmer nods sagely when she spins in her chair. "Just because you can't see her ink doesn't mean it's not there. Have a little faith in the universe."

Laughing bitterly, Adora shoves her textbook in her backpack.

"Yeah, because the universe has been so kind to me before."

Glimmer frowns. "Adora-"

She shoulders the bag. "I'm going to the library," she mutters. "I'll be back before ten. Don't call unless it's an emergency."

Bow and Glimmer exchange a glance she doesn't see as she flees.

Adora doesn't slow until she's outside her building. Despite being on the football team, her thighs and lungs burn accordingly and in a way she hasn't felt in a while.

She hasn't missed the feeling.

Unlike everyone else's tattoos she's seen, Adora Eternia's soulmate mark isn't intricate. It doesn't take up a lot of space on her ribs, but it's so glaringly unreadable that thinking about it makes her stomach lurch.

She's never been able to read it.

It's in some kind of code she still hasn't deciphered. Adora can remember the long hours in the library, burying herself in books about dead languages, searching for anything to help her figure out what her soulmate tattoo meant.

She gave up, eventually.

It's not like her foster mom ever helped.

Adora kicks at a stray rock on the sidewalk at the thought of her foster mother. She still hasn't decided what kind of emotion to tie to her - anger? Confusion? Loss?

Her therapist says to compartmentalize.

The library's _Closed_  signs smirks back at her and Adora groans, resting her head against the glass. Inside is dark, not even the hall lights on.

She can't even knock and hope Professor Razz will let her in, then.

Adora resigns herself to another night reading textbooks on the leg press and turns away. She shivers. Figures she forgot her jacket.

Just her luck.

 _No one will be in the gym this time of night,_  Adora tells herself and is glad she always keeps an extra pair of workout clothes in her backpack. _You can study in peace._

Her luck gives her the middle finger.

She swipes her ID and freezes with her hand on the door.

The gym is most deserted, all the best machines open.

Adora curses under her breath and yanks open the door forcefully. Of all the nights, of all the machines, _she_  had to pick that one.

Catherine Weaver, sweating bullets and looking better than any Victoria's Secret model black leggings and a gray sweatshirt, runs on Adora's favorite treadmill.

Adora marches over. She clears her throat and Catherine disregards her without taking out her earbuds. Catherine turns back to the machine and ups the setting.

Two can play at this game.

Adora, like the idiot she is, doesn't warm up.

She can hear Coach Angella yell at her as she races into the locker room. Her workout clothes are skimpier than Catherine's and Adora smirks.

Good. Let her know what she's up against.

Adora's never been against using her muscles to get what she wants.

 _Who_  she wants.

Catherine doesn't blink when she gets onto the treadmill next to her. Her feet pound against the track, and Adora peeks over at the setting.

Eight.

She can outdo that easily.

She loses herself after that. At some point Catherine must look over because Adora watches from the corner of her eye as [her own] setting goes higher and higher until they're both sweating like maniacs and panting.

Catherine taps out first with a smirk.

"It's so you can get a good look at my butt as I walk away," she calls out and slings a towel over her shoulder.

Adora chokes on her own spit and goes down. _Somehow_  she's able to swipe the button to turn off the treadmill but her head still hurts by the time she makes it back to the dorm. Glimmer's already asleep, and Adora blocks out the thought of how she could've followed Catherine into the locker room and pushed her against the shower stalls.

No one was around.

She angrily spits out toothpaste into the sink and climbs under the covers.

Catherine showers and quietly thinks about what Adora's skin would feel like covered in sweat. She knows Adora doesn't hold her mark on her arm and she's come to terms with that.

Catherine runs. She always runs.

Nothing holding her back from having fun, though.

"Idiots," Glimmer murmurs and types out a message to Bow from underneath the blankets so Adora doesn't see the glow of her screen.

 _Twilight Sparkle_ to _Hawkeye 1:29 AM_  
I'm in.

 _Hawkeye_ to _Twilight Sparkle 1:29 AM_  
operation finals date is a go!!!

 _Twilight Sparkle_ to _Hawkeye 1:30 AM_  
Yeah, we're not calling it that.

 _Hawkeye_ to _Twilight Sparkle 1:32 AM_  
rude.

 

 

Catherine curses. She shoots upright and grapples for her phone.

"No no no no - dammit!"

She overslept. It's almost six o'clock Thursday night, the night before finals start. The library is probably packed.

Scarlett groans from the bottom bunk as she stumbles around the dorm. Keys, phone, textbook, wallet for coffee, pens - _paper? Does she need paper?_ She stops for a second, weighing it in her hand before throwing it in the bag. Never hurts to be too prepared.

"Bye!" she hollers and Scarlett faintly as the dorm door slams shut behind her.

Scarlett grins.

 _Scorpius Malfoy Did Nothing Wrong_ to _Trap Remix 6:01 PM_  
operation get catra to date the cute blonde is a go!! she's on her way now

 _Trap Remix_ to _Scorpius Malfoy Did Nothing Wrong 6:01 PM_  
Remind me never to let you come up with operation names again. Emily agrees that's a stupid name.

Scarlett pouts.

 _Scorpius Malfoy Did Nothing Wrong_ to _Trap Remix 6:02 PM_  
well that's just rude anyways we need a clear name for a clear plan

 _Trap Remix_ to _Scorpius Malfoy Did Nothing Wrong 6:03 PM_  
WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN? SIRI WHAT DOES THIS MEAN  
Siri is useless.

Scarlett smirks and rolls over in bed. It's been two weeks since Catra came home with a blush permanently staining her cheeks, even when Eternia wasn't mentioned. Endellion has crashed on their couch for almost all of those fourteen days since, and they've both spent [hours] trying to figure out what happened.

Running into Eternia's posse was a stroke of pure luck.

Operation Setup was a go.

Scarlett grumbles. Operation Get Catra To Date The Cute Blonde was a perfectly good name, thank you very much. It's not her fault she has taste and a fantastic sense of humor.

 _Twilight Sparkle_ to _OPERATION SETUP 6:10 PM_  
The library is PACKED, everything is on schedule. Is Eagle Two en-route? Eagle One has already landed.

 _Trap Remix_ to _OPERATION SETUP 6:10 PM_  
Is she at the only open table? We might have a chance then.

 _Hawkeye_ to _OPERATION SETUP 6:11 PM_  
isn't this an invasion of privacy lol  
still agree with scarlett though i liked her operation name

 _Trap Remix_ to _OPERATION SETUP 6:11 PM_  
Do you need me to re-program your phone because I think your caps lock is broken.

 _Twilight Sparkle_ to _OPERATION SETUP 6:11 PM_  
Focus guys  
Also no he just types like that it's because his dads are gay

 _Hawkeye_ to _OPERATION SETUP 6:11 PM_  
your mom gay

 _Twilight Sparkle_ to _OPERATION SETUP 6:12 PM_  
This just in: I'm blocking Bow from this groupchat!

 _Hawkeye_ to _OPERATION SETUP 6:12 PM_  
NO GLIMMER WAIT  
I'M SORRY  
GLIMMER COME BACK

_Twilight Sparkle has left the chat._

_Scorpius Malfoy Did Nothing Wrong_ added _Twilight Sparkle._

 _Scorpius Malfoy Did Nothing Wrong_ to _OPERATION SETUP 6:13 PM_  
get back here we're not giving up until the job is done  
cowards

 _Trap Remix to OPERATION SETUP_  
Only cowards refuse to use the caps lock like normal speaking people.

 _Scorpius Malfoy Did Nothing Wrong_ to _OPERATION SETUP 6:14 PM_  
bold of you to assume i'm normal

 _Twilight Sparkle_ to _OPERATION SETUP 6:14 PM_  
Focus.  
GUYS CATHERINE JUST WALKED IN OH MY GOD OPERATION SETUP STEP TWO IN MOTION

Catherine groans as she swipes her ID. Even without walking in, she can see the people clustered around the worn and creaky tables crammed into every inch of open floor space.

Maybe she shouldn't have gotten coffee until she staked out her claim.

She prays the textbooks she needs aren't gone already and pushes open the door with her foot. Professor Razz smiles at her from behind the front desk, eyes wide beneath her large glasses. Catherine waves back.

"Do you know if there's any open spots?" Catherine says, sliding up next to the large desk. Razz's hair today is piled on top of her head, spilling down in strands and Catra holds back a snort. The quirky, slightly-crazy librarian is legendary around here.

"Not that I can see," Razz squints. "There might be one open in the back, though. I think I saw Eternia go back there a while ago but haven't seen anyone else follow her."

Catherine's heart sinks and skips a beat simultaneously. "Thanks."

She didn't know it could do that.

Slipping past the first cluster of tables, she ignores the whispers. Catherine's used to them, anyway.

The bookshelf next to her shoulder shudders as something falls and Catherine swears she sees a flash of purple hair. She shrugs it off. Probably a freshman making out with their significant other - she won't admit doing that herself.

It's easy to disappear further and further into the bookcases. The farther back she goes, the more relaxed her shoulders get. She didn't realize how tense she was until she exhales.

Maybe Razz saw Eternia by mistake. Surely no one's back here - she doesn't hear the whirring of the lights, the whispering that would accompany Eternia around as the only woman football player.

The first that Bright Moon's ever had.

Catherine rolls her eyes.

And stops dead.

Curses.

The light in the back room is on. Catherine wonders how she didn't see it sooner. She ignores the sudden wiggling of the mark on her arm - she's used to thinking it moves around Eternia. It doesn't.

She doesn't even double check anymore.

Catherine knocks loudly and relishes in how Eternia jumps, turns and frowns. "Go away," she says, voice muffled by the glass. "I reserved this room all night."

The door opens beneath her hand and Catherine tuts. "Should've locked it then," she says and collapses into the farthest seat she can find from Eternia. It's hard when the farthest seat is across the table and one over.

It's a small room.

Headphones around her neck, Eternia looks like a startled animal. "You're Catherine," she says softly and Catherine cracks open her textbook with a snort.

"Am I?"

"You suck," Eternia says loftily, like that's supposed to hurt her feelings in some way, and turns back to her own notes. She puts her headphones back on, cranks up her music - Catherine notes that it sounds suspiciously like Taylor Swift, go figure - and ignores her.

That suits Catherine just fine.

She yanks on the sleeve of her sweatshirt. Underneath her skin burns and itches in a way she's never felt before - sure her mark has moved before, around people, when her skin itself has shifted when she got hurt, but never like this.

The fifth time Catherine hisses between clenched teeth, clutching at her arm underneath the table, Eternia looks up. "Some of us are trying to study," she says blandly. "So if you could stop acting like you got shot that would be great."

"I hate you," Catherine bites out. Eternia watches her and Catherine's sure the flash of concern she sees in her eyes is just a trick of the lighting. "Stop bothering me, I'm just trying to study too. God."

Eternia doesn't go back to her notes but studies her closely. "You aren't looking too good," she says and Catherine holds back a curse.

"Good observation, Sherlock Holmes. What's your area of study again?"

"No, seriously, you look like you're about to throw up. Are you sick?" Eternia is leaning closer and Catherine scrambles to jerk back. She knows this feeling all too well - she's run from it for so long, convinced herself she was crazy.

Eternia's fingers brush her arm and her world explodes.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Catherine registers Eternia's gasp. But's she's spiraling, every nerve in her arm lit as she watches her soulmate mark slither into the spot Eternia's fingertips touched.

"It's you," Adora Eternia gasps.

Catherine Weaver looks up into the eyes of her soulmate.

"You're - you're," she pants, almost bent over. Almost outside of her body, observing from the outside, Catherine watches her fingers reach for Adora's.

Adora reaches for her, hesitant, softly. Like her heart, like the air around them.

Their fingers wrap around each other and their tattoos pulse.

Catherine watches, stunned, as the tattoo she's spent her entire life trying to decipher slithers down Adora's arm, moving and pulsing in a way she was ready to never see on anyone. She had come to terms with not having a soulmate.

"Hey, Adora," she murmurs, and Eternia pulls her in by the collar of her shirt.


End file.
